President Iohannis: Romania has filed a principled request with USDOD for the purchase of Patriot missile defense systems

President Klaus Iohannis said Thursday that Romania has filed a principled request with the US Department of Defense (USDOD) for the purchase of Patriot missile defense systems.

"This is a matter that is somehow hard to discuss with the general public (...), but we have filed a principal request with the US side. (...) I guess the note was posted on the USDOD website yesterday; it has to be approved so that negations may start," Iohannis said at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

President Klaus Iohannis stated that he carried out discussions with the Executive about the Army's endowment programmes, revealing that he had received promises they will be launched in due time.

"It's a mater that I also have discussed both with the prior Government and the current Government. They all promised to do whatever it takes to start the procurements in due time. I expect it to happen," Iohannis stated.

At Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, President Iohannis met Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Petr Pavel.

"We have discussed a great deal of things, most of them related to the Black Sea region, the Eastern Flank, and I wanted to find out from General Pavel how the military perceive the whole complex. We discussed these issues at length and we also talked about money, more precisely, Mr. General wanted to say that he greatly appreciates Romania's stance of allocating 2 percent of the GDP for Defence," said the head of the state, who also met with the Romanian and English pilots who ensure the mission of the Strengthened Air Police.

Also attending the event were Chief of General Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca, and Presidential Advisor Ion Oprisor.

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Saber Guardian 17, the largest military exercise in Romania's modern history, will include a river crossing operation in Bordusani (southeastern Ialomita County) on Sunday, the MASCAL-type (Mass Casualty - ed.n.) Exercise at the "Mihail Kogalniceanu" Air Base and night river crossing operation in southern Valcea County, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informed in a press release.

Thus, the Distinguished Visitors Day of the Argedava Saber 17 exercise of crossing of a major watercourse operation will take place on Sunday, starting at 11:00 hrs on the Borcea branch of the Danube River, within the range of Bordusani commune. Over 1,500 Romanian servicemen and 100 U.S. military will participate in the activity with about 400 technical combat means.

The main structures of the exercise are from the Romanian Land Forces, namely the 2nd Getica Infantry Division, the 10th Engineer Brigade "Dunarea de jos", the 1st Mechanized Brigade "Argedava", the 9th Mechanized Brigade "Marasesti", the 528th Reconnaissance Battalion, 630th Paratroopers Battalion, 307th Marine Infantry Battalion, as well as military intelligence structures and Psychological operations (PSYOPS). The actions of the land forces are supported by a naval group of the River Fleet and aircraft of the Romanian Air Force. The U.S. servicemen are part of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

Distinguished Visitors' Day of the MASCAL (mass casualty) sequence will be held on Sunday from 15:00 hrs in the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

"The MASCAL exercise, held from July 10 to 17 at the "Mihail Kogalniceanu" Air Base, provides a war game scenario for hospital medical training for the 30th U.S. Medical Brigade, leading the exercise, and three NATO ROL 2 hospitals (212 U.S. Campaign, ROL 2 Medical School of the Romanian Armed Forces and Balkan Medical School) deployed at Mihail Kogalniceanu. During the exercise, soldiers with different injuries supposedly inflicted upon a hostile group forcing the crossing of a major water course in Bordusani and during they Air Defense Artillery and Live Fire Exercise at Capu Midia will be screened and given the appropriate medical care," the MApN press release said.

Romania will participate in the exercise with ROL 2 Extended Medical Formation and with several ROL 1 formations within the terrestrial, naval and air forces.

The river crossing operation will take place during the night of July 16 through 17, in Raureni locality, Valcea County. Approximately 500 Romanian servicemen from the South East Multinational Brigade and the 10th Engineer Brigade "Dunarea de jos", 1,000 U.S. troops from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and some 440 Polish, German, Dutch, Macedonian, Slovenian, Lithuanian and British will execute, with approximately 740 technical means, complex combat actions.